Dallas DVD
Warner Home Video
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: TV Series
Length: 1397 minutes
Director: Various
Year: (1978,1979)
Britt Gillette's Dallas DVD (Seasons 1 and 2) Review
The most intriguing prime time television show in history, Dallas burst onto the scene in the late 1970's - becoming a mainstay of CBS Friday night programming for over thirteen years. But it took a few episodes for America to become entranced with J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), the television villain everyone loves, and the season one DVD box set delivers every one of them.
Dallas follows the exploits of the powerful Ewing family and their fascination with power, oil, and day-to-day luxury. Dallas is one television show that is a "must see" for any prime time soap opera aficionado. The complete first and second seasons cover 29 episodes of oil leases, Texas ranching, love affairs, and the inner-workings of the elite social circles of late 1970's Dallas…
Episode 1 (Digger's Daughter): The long running feud between the Ewing and Barnes families takes a dramatic twist when Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) marries Pamela Barnes (Victoria Principal). The union is a big shock to the entire Ewing clan because of the enmity between Bobby's father Jock (Jim Davis), the founder of Ewing Oil, and Pam's father Digger Barnes, the ex-Ewing partner who believes Jock stole both his girl and his money. But will the marriage last? Bobby's brother J.R. seems determined to make sure it doesn't. And anyone who's watched the show knows that J.R. almost always gets what he wants…
Episode 2 (Lessons): Lucy Ewing (Charlene Tilton), the spoiled teenage granddaughter of Jock and Ellie Ewing (Barbara Bel Geddes), is skipping school on a daily basis. Around Southfork, Lucy always gets her way, and Pam is the first member of the family to attempt to put her in line…
(In these early episodes, the show was centered on Pam's acceptance into the Ewing family. However, it doesn't take long for J.R.'s role to dramatically increase.)
Episode 3 (Spy in the House): Precious Ewing documents fall into the hands of Ewing arch-enemy Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval). J.R. immediately accuses Pam of passing the papers off to her brother. Can Bobby clear his wife's reputation?
Episode 4 (Winds of Vengeance): Southfork ranch foreman, Ray Krebs (Steve Kanaly), teams up with J.R. to take care of some out-of-town business. But when they arrive back at Southfork, a hurricane is on its way. However, the hurricane turns out to be the least of the Ewing family's troubles as the Ewing women are taken hostage by two men who think their wives were raped by J.R. and Ray…
Episode 5 (Barbecue): Digger Barnes returns to Southfork ranch for the annual Ewing barbeque - much to the chagrin of Jock. With their differences greater than ever, the reunion threatens to ruin the barbeque, at least until Pam and Bobby reveal their good news: Pam is pregnant. The prospect of sharing a grandchild forces a truce between Jock and Digger, but J.R. and his wife Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) don't like the competition for creating an heir to the Ewing empire. Both of them get drunk, and J.R. forges out to set the record straight between himself and Pam - with disastrous consequences…
Episode 6 (Reunion Part One): Middle brother Gary (Lucy's father), long ago driven away from Southfork by his ruthless older brother J.R., returns to the ranch. Valene, a waitress who's Lucy's mother, returns along with Gary. Most of the family is thrilled to have them back, with the exception of J.R. who sees Gary as a nuisance and Valene as unbefitting of the Ewing's social standards. Placing Gary in charge of a dwindling business enterprise, J.R. hatches a scheme to drive both of them off the ranch forever…
Episode 7 (Reunion Part Two): Gary's stay at Southfork takes its toll as J.R. continues to apply pressure. Eventually, Gary cracks and tries to run away. Valene does her best to keep him at Southfork, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Digger disavows daughter Pam because she dared to marry a Ewing. He demands that Jock pay him for what is rightfully his. Shortly after Gary leaves, J.R. drives Valene off of Southfork too - telling daughter Lucy that Valene accepted $5,000 to leave for good…
Episode 8 (Old Acquaintance): Bobby's childhood sweetheart, Jenna Wade (Morgan Fairchild), resurfaces in Dallas. Caught in a love triangle, she turns to Bobby for help. Much to Pam's dismay, the two begin spending lots of time with each other (along with Jenna's daughter, Charlie, who Bobby believes may be his). J.R. finds out about Bobby and Jenna's reunion and views the event as a golden opportunity to break up Pam and Bobby once and for all…
Episode 9 (Bypass): While J.R. and Jock argue over Bobby's role in the day-to-day business of Ewing Oil, Jock goes into cardiac arrest. Rushed to Dallas Memorial, doctors quickly stabilize the Ewing patriarch, but his father's flirtation with death doesn't stop J.R.'s dirty dealing. Pressed by his partners, Jeb and Billy Joe, for J.R.'s assurance that Jock's death won't create havoc with their business partnership, J.R. reveals his daddy's will - a document granting full drilling rights to Section 40 of Southfork (the largest untapped oil reserve in Texas). But Miss Ellie has long contended she will never allow drilling to take place on Southfork. Could J.R.'s document be a fake?
Episode 10 (Black Market Baby): Desperate to provide an heir for the Ewing empire, Sue Ellen consults with an adoption agency. When told of the long wait, she's put in contact with a man who can arrange to have a baby purchased from a struggling unwed mother. But when J.R. finds out, he puts a quick and decisive end to her scheme…
Episode 11 (Double Wedding): Skeletons come out of Pam's closet as her ex-husband shows up in Dallas. The only problem is, she never told Bobby of her previous marriage! Pam claims the marriage was annulled, but her drunken father Digger seems to have misplaced the documentation. Once again, J.R. sees his chance to end Pam and Bobby's marriage…
Episode 12 (Runaway): With all of Southfork (except Lucy) engaged in the planning of Lucy's birthday party, the only Ewing grandchild throws a tantrum when her mother is barred from attending her party. She flees Southfork and meets up with a young man at a lunch counter. But Lucy soon gets wrapped up in more than she can handle as she becomes the man's hostage in a statewide crime spree…
Episode 13 (Election): Cliff Barnes throws his hat in the ring for State Senator in order to get in a position of power to cause trouble for the Ewings. Pam works for Cliff's campaign, further increasing the divide between her and J.R. But when J.R. finances his own candidate to run against Cliff, tensions mount as the Ewings pull out every trick in the book to take down their sworn enemy, Cliff Barnes…
Episode 14 (Survival): J.R. and Bobby are forced to survive in a swamp when their twin-engine plane crashes in the middle of a rain storm. The Ewing clan manages to hide the news from Jock for a short time, fearing he'll suffer a heart attack if he finds out, but an aggressive reporter makes his way onto Southfork and spills the beans. Pam and Sue Ellen cling to hope as the wait to hear the news about their husbands…
Episode 15 (Act of Love): Sue Ellen is finally pregnant with the Ewing heir that she and J.R. have always wanted. But J.R. accuses her of infidelity when he calculates backward to their most recent day of intimacy. Could Cliff Barnes be the true father of Sue Ellen's baby? Meanwhile, Pam and Bobby have words over her desire to pursue a career…
Episode 16 (Triangle): Ray Krebs finds the love of his life, a struggling Country/Western singer named Garnett. But J.R. has his eye on the same girl, and he's determined to get what he wants from her. Meanwhile, Lucy becomes enamored with the idea of the country music lifestyle, and she begs Jock and J.R. to let her pursue a music career. When J.R. strikes a record deal with Garnett, both she and Ray get more than they bargain for…
Episode 17 (Fallen Idol): Bobby forms a construction firm with an old college buddy. But their first project, a proposed shopping mall on Southfork, probably won't fly with Miss Ellie…
Episode 18 (Kidnapped): Some opportunists devise a plan to kidnap J.R. and hold him for a large ransom. But they encounter problems when they kidnap the wrong Ewing brother, Bobby. Now they must face down a vengeful J.R. who's hell-bent on getting his brother back safely…
Episode 19 (Home Again): Garrison, Ellie's long lost brother (who she presumed was dead) returns to Southfork. The rightful heir to the Ewing estate, J.R. fears he's returned to take over what is rightfully his. But Garrison has something entirely different in mind…
Episode 20 (For Love or Money): Tired of J.R.'s endless philandering, Sue Ellen leaves Southfork and moves in with her mother and sister. J.R. does what he can to bring Sue Ellen back, but she once again seeks comfort in the arms of Cliff Barnes. When Cliff and Sue Ellen finally weigh the options left in their relationship, they make some surprising decisions…
Episode 21 (Julie's Return): Longtime Ewing Oil secretary Julie Grey returns to Dallas in the aftermath of her betrayal of J.R. With his family treating him like an invalid, Jock begins spending lots of time with Julie because she's the only person who treats him like real man. The relationship continues until Miss Ellie puts an immediate stop to it…
Episode 22 (The Red File Part One): Former Ewing Oil secretary Julie Grey knows where all of J.R.'s skeletons are buried. While on a weekend getaway, he has her apartment searched. But Julie has done a good job of hiding her secrets, and J.R. doesn't find them. After a painful encounter with J.R., she offers all her secrets to Cliff Barnes. J.R.'s associates have tapped Julie's phone, and they confront her before she can meet with Cliff. When Cliff arrives at her apartment, Julie is dead, and J.R. has the evidence that will put Cliff in jail for life...
Episode 23 (The Red File Part Two): Convinced that J.R. framed her brother, Pam leaves Southfork. Everything is going perfect for J.R. as Cliff moves closer to a murder conviction and Pam fights with Bobby, but little does J.R. know what Julie left behind - a key and a pawn ticket that threaten to unearth all of Ewing Oil's dirty business…
Episode 24 (Sue Ellen's Sister): With Pam still unwilling to return to Southfork following her brother Cliff's near murder conviction, J.R. seizes the opportunity to bring Sue Ellen's sister, Kristen, into town. Knowing Kristen has her eye on Bobby, J.R. hopes to wreck forever Pam and Bobby's blissful marriage…
Episode 25 (Call Girl): Pam continues to live in Dallas, emphatic that she will never again return to Southfork. Bribing a friend of Pam's, J.R. arranges to have some compromising photographs taken of Pam in an apparent three-way love affair. But when the story hits the front-pages, it only serves to cement Pam and Bobby's commitment to their marriage, and Pam moves back to Southfork…
Episode 26 (Royal Marriage): Much to J.R.'s excitement, Lucy takes a liking to the young heir of Mainwaring Oil. With visions of a Ewing / Mainwaring partnership, J.R. encourages the romance which soon leads to a wedding announcement. But J.R. also knows the dirty secret that threatens to ruin Lucy's happiness and end the engagement…
Episode 27 (The Outsiders): Ray Krebs meets a young woman named Donna at a local bar. The two quickly hit it off, and Ray falls in love. But what he doesn't know is that Donna is already married - to a powerful politician whose cooperation J.R. desperately needs, pitting J.R.'s business interests with Ray's love life…
Episode 28 (John Ewing III Part One): Depressed after the breakup of her short engagement, Lucy is offered some pills by a friend. She quickly spirals downward into a cycle of drug abuse before being rescued by Ray and Bobby. Meanwhile, Sue Ellen is spending her days in a state of drunkenness due to her breakup with Cliff Barnes. Embarrassed by her behavior, and afraid she'll endanger the precious Ewing heir, J.R. has her shipped off to a sanatorium…
Episode 29 (John Ewing III Part Two): Desperate for alcohol, Sue Ellen pays off one of the orderlies in the sanatorium to smuggle bottles of liquor into her room. Later, she escapes and ends up in car accident. Delivering her baby prematurely, Cliff (who claims the child is his) and the entire Ewing family wait to find out if Sue Ellen and her son will survive the ordeal…
Britt Gillette
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Posted on 19 November 2004